Welcome to your B1 English grammar lesson on reported speech! Have you ever wanted to tell someone what another person said? That’s exactly what reported speech, also known as indirect speech, helps us do. It’s a super useful skill for everyday conversations and understanding English better. Let’s dive in and learn how to use it correctly!

What is Reported Speech?

Imagine your friend tells you, “I am going to the park.” Later, you want to tell someone else what your friend said. You wouldn’t repeat “I am going to the park,” right? Instead, you’d probably say something like, “She said she was going to the park.” That’s reported speech in action!

Reported speech is how we communicate what someone else said, but without using their exact words. We often make changes to the original sentence to fit the new context. This is a key part of English grammar and essential for spoken English practice.

Why do we use reported speech? It’s simple! It allows us to:

• Share information we’ve heard from others.
• Summarize conversations.
• Avoid repeating word-for-word quotes, which can sound unnatural in everyday speech.

Key Changes in Reported Speech

When we change direct speech (the exact words someone said) to reported speech, we usually need to make some grammatical adjustments. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds! The main changes involve:

1. Tense Changes (Backshifting)

This is often the trickiest part, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it! When the reporting verb (like ‘said’, ‘told’, ‘asked’) is in the past tense, we usually “shift” the tense of the verbs in the reported clause backwards in time. Here’s a common pattern:

• Direct Speech: Present Simple -> Reported Speech: Past Simple
  
  Example: Direct: “I like coffee.” -> Reported: She said she liked coffee.
• Direct Speech: Present Continuous -> Reported Speech: Past Continuous
  
  Example: Direct: “I am watching TV.” -> Reported: He said he was watching TV.
• Direct Speech: Past Simple -> Reported Speech: Past Perfect
  
  Example: Direct: “I went to the beach.” -> Reported: They said they had gone to the beach.
• Direct Speech: Present Perfect -> Reported Speech: Past Perfect
  
  Example: Direct: “I have finished my work.” -> Reported: She told me she had finished her work.
• Direct Speech: Future Simple (will) -> Reported Speech: Conditional Simple (would)
  
  Example: Direct: “I will call you later.” -> Reported: He said he would call me later.

Think of it like stepping back in time when you report what was said earlier!

2. Pronoun Changes

Pronouns often need to change to reflect the different speaker and listener. This depends on who is reporting and who is being reported about.

• “I” often changes to “he” or “she“.
  
  Example: Direct: “I am hungry.” -> Reported: He said he was hungry.
• “You” can change to “I“, “we“, “he“, “she“, “they“, depending on who ‘you’ refers to.
  
  Example: Direct (to me): “You are right.” -> Reported: She said I was right.
  
  Example: Direct (to them): “You are late.” -> Reported: He said they were late.
• “My” changes to “his” or “her“.
  
  Example: Direct: “This is my book.” -> Reported: She said that was her book.

Pay close attention to the context to choose the correct pronoun!

3. Time and Place Adverbials

Words that refer to time and place may also need to change to fit the new perspective in reported speech. Here are some common changes:

• now -> then
  
  Example: Direct: “I am busy now.” -> Reported: He said he was busy then.
• today -> that day
  
  Example: Direct: “I’m leaving today.” -> Reported: She said she was leaving that day.
• tomorrow -> the next day / the following day
  
  Example: Direct: “I will see you tomorrow.” -> Reported: He said he would see me the next day.
• yesterday -> the day before / the previous day
  
  Example: Direct: “I arrived yesterday.” -> Reported: She said she had arrived the day before.
• here -> there
  
  Example: Direct: “I like it here.” -> Reported: He said he liked it there.

These changes help to keep the reported speech accurate in time and location from the reporter’s point of view.

Common Reporting Verbs

While “said” is the most common reporting verb, we use many others to add more detail to our reported speech. Here are a few important ones:

• say: General reporting verb. Often used when we just want to report the information.
  
  Example: He said he was tired.
• tell: Used when we report something *to* someone. Needs an object (the person being told).
  
  Example: He told me he was tired. (Correct) / He told he was tired. (Incorrect)
• ask: Used for reported questions.
  
  Example: She asked if I was coming.
• think, believe, assume: Used to report opinions or beliefs.
  
  Example: They believe that it will rain.
• explain, mention, suggest, complain, admit, deny: More specific verbs that add nuance to the reporting.
  
  Example: He explained that he was late because of traffic.

Expanding your vocabulary of reporting verbs will make your spoken English sound more natural and expressive!

Reported Questions

Reporting questions is slightly different. We don’t use question marks in reported questions, and the word order changes to statement word order (subject + verb).

1. Yes/No Questions

For yes/no questions (questions that can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’), we use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ to introduce the reported question.
Example: Direct: “Are you coming?” -> Reported: She asked if I was coming. / She asked whether I was coming.

2. Wh- Questions

For questions that start with wh- words (who, what, where, when, why, how), we use the same wh- word in the reported question.
Example: Direct: “Where are you going?” -> Reported: He asked where I was going.

Reported Commands and Requests

To report commands and requests (imperatives), we use ‘tell’ / ‘ask’ + object + to-infinitive.
Example: Direct: “Open the window, please.” -> Reported: She asked me to open the window.
Example: Direct: “Don’t be late!” -> Reported: He told me not to be late.

Why is Reported Speech Important for Speaking?

Mastering reported speech is crucial for improving your spoken English skills. Think about how often you relay information in conversations! Being able to accurately and naturally use reported speech will make you a more confident and fluent English speaker. Imagine these situations:

• Catching up with friends: “Guess what? Sarah told me she’s getting a new job!”
• Discussing news: “The news reported that the weather will be sunny tomorrow.”
• Explaining instructions: “The teacher said we should finish the assignment by Friday.”

Without reported speech, your conversations might sound less natural and more limited. By practicing this grammar point, you’ll significantly improve your English speaking abilities and communicate more effectively in various situations.

Let’s Practice!

Ready to put your knowledge to the test? Transform these direct speech sentences into reported speech. Remember to consider tense changes, pronoun changes, and time/place adverbials where necessary.

1. Direct: “I am happy to be here.”
   Reported: She said ____________________________.
2. Direct: “We went to Italy last summer.”
   Reported: They said ____________________________.
3. Direct: “I will help you with that.”
   Reported: He said ____________________________.
4. Direct: “Are you tired?”
   Reported: She asked ____________________________.
5. Direct: “Where do you live?”
   Reported: He asked ____________________________.
6. Direct: “Close the door.”
   Reported: She told me ____________________________.
7. Direct: “I can’t come today.”
   Reported: He said ____________________________.
8. Direct: “My brother is a doctor.”
   Reported: She mentioned ____________________________.
9. Direct: “We are studying English now.”
   Reported: They said ____________________________.
10. Direct: “I saw her yesterday.”
    Reported: He said ____________________________.

Answers to Practice Exercises

1. Reported: She said she was happy to be there.
2. Reported: They said they had gone to Italy last summer.
3. Reported: He said he would help me with that.
4. Reported: She asked if/whether I was tired.
5. Reported: He asked where I lived.
6. Reported: She told me to close the door.
7. Reported: He said he couldn’t come that day.
8. Reported: She mentioned that her brother was a doctor.
9. Reported: They said they were studying English then.
10. Reported: He said he had seen her the day before/previous day.

Improve Your Spoken English Further with Lingofrnd

Congratulations on completing this lesson on reported speech! Remember, the best way to master this and other aspects of English grammar is through consistent practice. To truly improve your spoken English and gain confidence in using reported speech in real conversations, we recommend practicing with Lingofrnd.com.

Lingofrnd.com is your AI-powered spoken English teacher, ready to help you practice reported speech and many other English conversation skills. It’s a fantastic tool for English speaking learners at all levels, especially if you are aiming to move beyond the basics and achieve a B1 level fluency.

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Keep practicing and have fun learning English!